Readings – Twelfth Sunday in Ordinary Time

20 June 2010

Greeting (See Second Reading)

We are all sons and daughters of God
through faith in Christ Jesus;
we belong to Christ.
May we also follow Christ our Lord
and may his strength be with you.

 

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Jesus’ Identity And Ours

Jesus asks of us, his disciples today, “You, who do you say I am?” I hope that we can say with Peter that for us he is Jesus, our Savior. This is a very important question for us, for our own identity depends on it. Who are we? We are Christians, followers of Christ, and therefore people who try as much as we can to become like him. And that will include also at times that we have to bear the cross with him. But don’t you worry: he is our “com-pan-ion” in life, literally, the one who breaks bread with us.

 

B. No Following Jesus Without The Cross

Everyone without exception meets in life pain, sickness, suffering, and at the end, death. Do we have to say that these are good or look at them as the will of God? The will of God is our happiness! With Jesus going through his agony in the garden, we do not glorify suffering. But with him we learn to accept it where it can help us to grow as persons, where it can serve our love for God and people. And we are sure that pain does not have the last word. We ask Jesus that we may follow him all the way.

 

 

First Reading                                                  Zechariah 12:10-11; 13:1

A reading from the second book of Samuel

Thus says the LORD: I will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and petition; and they shall look on him whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him as one mourns for an only son, and they shall grieve over him as one grieves over a firstborn. On that day the mourning in Jerusalem shall be as great as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the plain of Megiddo. On that day there shall be open to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountain to purify from sin and uncleanness.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm                            Psalms 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9  

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. 

O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth,

parched, lifeless and without water.

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. 

 

Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory,

For your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you.

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. 

Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.

As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.

My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me.

Response: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

 

Second Reading                                       Galatians 3:26-29

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians

Brothers and sisters: Through faith you are all children of God in Christ Jesus. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free person,

there is not male and female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendant, heirs according to the promise.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel                                                 Luke 9:18-24

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.  Glory to you, Lord.

Once when Jesus was praying in solitude, and the disciples were with him, he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They said in reply, “John the Baptist; others, Elijah; still others, ‘One of the ancient prophets has arisen.’” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter said in reply, “The Christ of God.” He rebuked them and directed them not to tell this to anyone.

He said, “The Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.”

Then he said to all, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” 

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – Eleventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

13 June 2010 

 

Greeting (See Second Reading)

It is not our own life we should live
but the life of Christ who lives in us.
Christ loves us
and he sacrificed himself for our sake.
May his forgiveness and peace be always with you.

 

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. A Meal Of Forgiveness

We know from experience that a meal is a great opportunity for reconciliation and forgiveness. Sharing the same table means accepting one another, forming community, letting bygones be bygones. The meal of the Eucharist is an encounter with the forgiving Christ and with one another in peace. This is why we have in the Eucharist a penitential act, the Our Father, an acclamation to the Lamb of God who takes our sins away, the sign of peace. At the very heart of the celebration we remember how Christ shed his blood so that sins may be forgiven. Let us celebrate this Eucharist in a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

 

B. Friendship Forgives

If we admit a person into our home and especially when we invite him or her to eat with us, it means that we fully accept this person. Is this always true? Here at the table of our Lord Jesus, he accepts all of us, the weak and the strong; he brings forgiveness and life to all and calls us all to praise the Father with him. He does not judge us, for he simply wants to be with us and to be our companion in life. Do we welcome one another in the same way?

 

First Reading                                                   2 Samuel 12:7-10, 13

A reading from the second book of Samuel

Nathan said to David: “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king of Israel. I rescued you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your lord’s house and your lord’s wives for your own. I gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were not enough, I could count up for you still more. Why have you spurned the Lord and done evil in his sight? You have cut down Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you took his wife as your own, and him you killed with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah to be your wife.’ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.”

Nathan answered David: “The LORD on his part has forgiven your sin: you shall not die.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm                             Psalm 32:1-2, 5, 7, 11  

Response: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done. 

Blessed is the one whose fault is taken away, whose sin is covered. Blessed the man to whom the LORD imputes not guilt, in whose spirit there is no guile.

Response: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done. 

I acknowledged my sin to you, my guilt I covered not. I said, “I confess my faults to the LORD,” and you took away the guilt of my sin.

Response: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done. 

You are my shelter; from distress you will preserve me; with glad cries of freedom you will ring me round.

Response: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done. 

Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you just; exult, all you upright of heart.

Response: Lord, forgive the wrong I have done. 

 

Second Reading                                       Galatians 2:16, 19-21

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Galatians

Brothers and sisters: We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. For through the law I died to the law, that I might live for God. I have been crucified with Christ; yet I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me; insofar as I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God who has loved me and given himself up for me. I do not nullify the grace of God; for if justification comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.  

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Gospel                                                  Luke 7:36-50

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.  Glory to you, Lord.

A Pharisee invited Jesus to dine with him, and he entered the Pharisee’s house and reclined at table. Now there was a sinful woman in the city who learned that he was at table in the house of the Pharisee. Bringing an alabaster flask of ointment, she stood behind him at his feet weeping and began to bathe his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who and what sort of woman this is who is touching him, that she is a sinner.” Jesus said to him in reply, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Tell me, teacher, ” he said. “Two people were in debt to a certain creditor; one owed five hundred days’ wages and the other owed fifty. Since they were unable to repay the debt, he forgave it for both. Which of them will love him more?” Simon said in reply, “The one, I suppose, whose larger debt was forgiven.” He said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Then he turned to the woman and said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you did not give me water for my feet, but she has bathed them with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but she has not ceased kissing my feet since the time I entered. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she anointed my feet with ointment. So I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven because she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” The others at table said to themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” But he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – The Ascension of the Lord

 

16 May 2010

Greeting

The Risen Lord Jesus now lives
in the glory of the Father.
Through the Spirit of courage and love
may he always be with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Glorious, Yet Still With Us

When someone good and close to us has died, we feel that this person is still with us and keeps inspiring and guiding us. When at his Ascension Jesus left his disciples and passed to the glory of heaven, he became to his disciples more than a memory of a great person who had died. First, he is still alive as the Risen Lord; second, he is gone but he stays with us by his Spirit of strength, wisdom, and love and in this way he is our companion in life. He still speaks his Word to us, he still gives himself to us as our food and drink, and he is alive in our communities. Listen to him present among us here and let him nourish us with his Word and his Body.

B. An End And A New Beginning

Jesus had gone ahead of us and shown us the way in his preaching and the way he lived: this is what should inspire us, this is how we should live, like Jesus. In his death he showed us the way of faithful love. He was the first to rise from the dead and our assurance that we too will rise. In his ascension he went ahead of us to live in the joy of the Father. In all these steps he is a living invitation: Come, follow me where I go. I am waiting for you after you have continued my work. In this Eucharist we say in the Creed: “I believe in the resurrection of the dead and the life everlasting.”

First Reading                                                   Acts 1:1-11

A reading from the book of Acts

In the first book, Theophilus, I dealt with all that Jesus did and taught until the day he was taken up, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles whom he had chosen. He presented himself alive to them by many proofs after he had suffered, appearing to them during forty days and speaking about the kingdom of God.  While meeting with them, he enjoined them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for “the promise of the Father about which you have heard me speak; for John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”  When they had gathered together they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?” He answered them, “It is not for you to know the times or seasons that the Father has established by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, throughout Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” When he had said this, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him from their sight. While they were looking intently at the sky as he was going, suddenly two men dressed in white garments stood beside them. They said, “Men of Galilee, why are you standing there looking at the sky?  This Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven will return in the same way as you have seen him going into heaven.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

 

Responsorial Psalm                             Psalm 47:2-3, 6-7, 8-9

Response: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

All you peoples, clap your hands, shout to God with cries of gladness,

For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome, is the great king over all the earth.

Response: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

God mounts his throne amid shouts of joy; the LORD, amid trumpet blasts.

Sing praise to God, sing praise; sing praise to our king, sing praise.

Response: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

For king of all the earth is God; sing hymns of praise.

God reigns over the nations, God sits upon his holy throne.

Response: God mounts his throne to shouts of joy: a blare of trumpets for the Lord.

Second Reading                                       Ephesians 1:17-23

A reading from the letter of St. Paul to the Ephesians

Brothers and sisters:  May the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, give you a Spirit of wisdom and revelation resulting in knowledge of him. May the eyes of your hearts be enlightened, that you may know what is the hope that belongs to his call, what are the riches of glory in his inheritance among the holy ones, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power for us who believe, in accord with the exercise of his great might: which he worked in Christ, raising him from the dead and seating him at his right hand in the heavens, far above every principality, authority, power, and dominion, and every name that is named not only in this age but also in the one to come.  And he put all things beneath his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of the one who fills all things in every way. 

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel                                                              Luke 24:46-53

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke.  Glory to you, Lord.

Jesus said to his disciples: “Thus it is written that the Christ would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance, for the forgiveness of sins, would be preached in his name to all the nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things.   And behold I am sending the promise of my Father upon you; but stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Then he led them out as far as Bethany, raised his hands, and blessed them. As he blessed them he parted from them and was taken up to heaven. They did him homage and then returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and they were continually in the temple praising God.

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – Fifth Sunday of Easter

02 May 2010

 

Greeting (See Second Reading)

God lives among his people,
he makes his home among us
in his Son Jesus Christ.
In Jesus, may he be our God-with-us.
The Lord be with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Love Is Inventive

We are often surprised because of the things people who love us do for us or give us: it amazes us how inventive love can be. Look at God, the origin of all love: he lets his own Son become one of us; Jesus astonishes us by his love for sinners, for misfits in life, for those who suffer. He gives up his life for us. And it is that inventive love which he makes the heart of our faith and our life. If we only had a bit of love like that we could make ourselves and our world all new. It is this inventive, renewing love which Jesus comes to share with us in this Eucharist.

B. See How They Love One Another

If you would be asked to define what is most typical of our Christian community, could it be said of us, as of the first Christians, “See how they love one another?” According to our Lord himself, the mark of his disciples should be that we love one another as he has loved us. Gathered here for the Lord’s meal of love, let us ask him to make us love one another the way he has loved us.

 

First Reading                                                   Acts 14:21-27     

A reading from the book of Acts

After Paul and Barnabas had proclaimed the good news to that city and made a considerable number of disciples, they returned to Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch. They strengthened the spirits of the disciples and exhorted them to persevere in the faith, saying, “It is necessary for us to undergo many hardships to enter the kingdom of God.” They appointed elders for them in each church and, with prayer and fasting, commended them to the Lord

in whom they had put their faith. Then they traveled through Pisidia and reached Pamphylia. After proclaiming the word at Perga they went down to Attalia. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work they had now accomplished. And when they arrived, they called the church together and reported what God had done with them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm                              Psalms 145:8-9, 10-11, 12-13

Response: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God. 

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness.

The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works.

Response: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

Let all your works give you thanks, O LORD, and let your faithful ones bless you. Let them discourse of the glory of your kingdom and speak of your might.

Response: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

 

Let them make known your might to the children of Adam, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. Your kingdom is a kingdom for all ages, and your dominion endures through all generations.

Response: I will praise your name for ever, my king and my God.

 

Second Reading                                       Revelation 21:1-5a

A reading from the book of Revelation

Then I, John, saw a new heaven and a new earth. The former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. I also saw the holy city, a new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, God’s dwelling is with the human race. He will dwell with them and they will be his people and God himself will always be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there shall be no more death or mourning, wailing or pain, for the old order has passed away.”

The One who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Gospel                                                              John 13:31-33a, 34-35

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.  Glory to you, Lord.

When Judas had left them, Jesus said, “Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and God will glorify him at once.

My children, I will be with you only a little while longer. I give you a new commandment: love one another. As I have loved you, so you also should love one another. This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – Fourth Sunday of Easter

Greeting (See Second Reading)

The Lamb on the throne will be our shepherd
and will lead us to springs of living water.
God will wipe away all tears from our eyes.
May this Lamb of God, Jesus our Lord,
be always with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. I Call Them By Their Name

It is very reassuring to know that our guide or community leader knows us personally and calls us by our name. It makes us say or think: He knows me and I know him. This calls for deeper trust and loyalty and love. On the Sunday of the Good Shepherd Jesus himself reminds us how he knows us personally. At the same time the fact that we know him too, at least a bit, changes our whole life. For in knowing him, we know God. We experience in him God’s goodness and care and close presence in everyday life. Would that we could also be near to one another and Jesus’ pastors and shepherds could be close to their people.

B. The Voice Of The Shepherd

Who are the pastors, the shepherds, whom people trust and listen to? As if instinctively they entrust themselves to priests who do not preach themselves but the Lord Jesus and his Good News. They listen to and confide in priests who know them and who also take the time to listen to them and their problems and hopes. For in them they recognize something of Jesus, the Good Shepherd and model of all shepherds. Let us join our Good Shepherd in his thanks to the Father.

First Reading                                                   Acts 13:14, 43-52

A reading from the book of Acts

Paul and Barnabas continued on from Perga and reached Antioch in Pisidia. On the sabbath they entered the synagogue and took their seats. Many Jews and worshipers who were converts to Judaism followed Paul and Barnabas, who spoke to them and urged them to remain faithful to the grace of God.
 
On the following sabbath almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. When the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy and with violent abuse contradicted what Paul said. Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly and said, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken to you first, but since you reject it and condemn yourselves as unworthy of eternal life, we now turn to the Gentiles. For so the Lord has commanded us,
I have made you a light to the Gentiles,
that you may be an instrument of salvation
to the ends of the earth.”
 
The Gentiles were delighted when they heard this and glorified the word of the Lord. All who were destined for eternal life came to believe, and the word of the Lord continued to spread through the whole region. The Jews, however, incited the women of prominence who were worshipers and the leading men of the city, stirred up a persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and expelled them from their territory. So they shook the dust from their feet in protest against them, and went to Iconium. The disciples were filled with joy and the Holy Spirit.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm                             Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5

Response: We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Sing joyfully to the LORD, all you lands; serve the LORD with gladness;
come before him with joyful song.
Response: We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Know that the LORD is God; he made us, his we are;
his people, the flock he tends.
Response: We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

The LORD is good: his kindness endures forever,
and his faithfulness, to all generations.
Response: We are his people, the sheep of his flock.

Second Reading                                       Rev 7:9, 14b-17

A reading from the book of Revelation

I, John, had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
 
Then one of the elders said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
 
“For this reason they stand before God’s throne and worship him day and night in his temple. The one who sits on the throne will shelter them. They will not hunger or thirst anymore, nor will the sun or any heat strike them. For the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel                                                              Jn 10:27-30

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.  Glory to you, Lord.

Jesus said:
“My sheep hear my voice;
I know them, and they follow me.
I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.
No one can take them out of my hand.
My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all,
and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand.
The Father and I are one.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – Third Sunday of Easter

Greeting (See Second Reading)

To the One who is sitting on the throne
and to the Lamb
be all praise, honor, glory and power.
May the Risen Lord be with you all.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. Encountering The Risen Lord

Perhaps we envy the apostles for having seen and experienced Jesus after he had risen from the dead. There is no reason to be envious of them: If we have faith, we too experience him as risen, alive, present, and sharing our life. If we have faith we know he is there when we suffer mishaps and failures or when we rejoice. If we have faith, we know Jesus is there when we strengthen and encourage one another. If we have faith, we know Jesus is with us when we share a meal of friendship, and, especially and deeply, when we eat together from the table of the Eucharist. Lift up your heads and be happy: the Risen Lord is with us in life.

B. Do You Love Me?

If Jesus would ask you today: “How close am I to you? Do you really love me?” what answer could you give him? There have been times certainly when we offended and betrayed him by our sins. I hope that you still dare to answer: “Jesus, notwithstanding my weakness and my occasional cowardice, I still want to say that I believe in you and that I love you. I know you keep loving me and I want to keep loving you.”

 

First Reading                                                   Acts 5:27-32, 40b-41

A reading from the book of Acts

When the captain and the court officers had brought the apostles in and made them stand before the Sanhedrin, the high priest questioned them, “We gave you strict orders, did we not, to stop teaching in that name? Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and want to bring this man’s blood upon us.” But Peter and the apostles said in reply, “We must obey God rather than men. The God of our ancestors raised Jesus, though you had him killed by hanging him on a tree. God exalted him at his right hand as leader and savior to grant Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. We are witnesses of these things, as is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey him.” The Sanhedrin ordered the apostles to stop speaking in the name of Jesus, and dismissed them. So they left the presence of the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that they had been found worthy to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm                             Ps 30:2, 4, 5-6, 11-12, 13
Response: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

I will extol you, O LORD, for you drew me clear and did not let my enemies rejoice over me. O LORD, you brought me up from the netherworld; you preserved me from among those going down into the pit.
Response: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Sing praise to the LORD, you his faithful ones, and give thanks to his holy name. For his anger lasts but a moment; a lifetime, his good will. At nightfall, weeping enters in, but with the dawn, rejoicing.
Response: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.
Hear, O LORD, and have pity on me; O LORD, be my helper. You changed my mourning into dancing; O LORD, my God, forever will I give you thanks.
Response: I will praise you, Lord, for you have rescued me.

Second Reading                                       Rev 5:11-14

A reading from the book of Revelation

I, John, looked and heard the voices of many angels who surrounded the throne and the living creatures and the elders. They were countless in number, and they cried out in a loud voice: “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and riches, wisdom and strength, honor and glory and blessing.” Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea, everything in the universe, cry out: “To the one who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be blessing and honor, glory and might, forever and ever.” The four living creatures answered, “Amen, “ and the elders fell down and worshiped.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

Gospel                                                              John 21:1-19

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.  Glory to you, Lord.

 

At that time, Jesus revealed himself again to his disciples at the Sea of Tiberias. He revealed himself in this way. Together were Simon Peter, Thomas called Didymus, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, Zebedee’s sons, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, “I am going fishing.” They said to him, “We also will come with you.” So they went out and got into the boat, but that night they caught nothing. When it was already dawn, Jesus was standing on the shore; but the disciples did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to them, “Children, have you caught anything to eat?” They answered him, “No.” So he said to them, “Cast the net over the right side of the boat and you will find something.” So they cast it, and were not able to pull it in because of the number of fish. So the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he tucked in his garment, for he was lightly clad, and jumped into the sea. The other disciples came in the boat, for they were not far from shore, only about a hundred yards, dragging the net with the fish. When they climbed out on shore, they saw a charcoal fire with fish on it and bread. Jesus said to them, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” So Simon Peter went over and dragged the net ashore full of one hundred fifty-three large fish. Even though there were so many, the net was not torn. Jesus said to them, “Come, have breakfast.” And none of the disciples dared to ask him, “Who are you?” because they realized it was the Lord. Jesus came over and took the bread and gave it to them, and in like manner the fish. This was now the third time Jesus was revealed to his disciples after being raised from the dead.
 
When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.” He then said to Simon Peter a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Simon Peter answered him, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” Jesus said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was distressed that Jesus had said to him a third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. Amen, amen, I say to you, when you were younger, you used to dress yourself and go where you wanted;
but when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go.” He said this signifying by what kind of death he would glorify God. And when he had said this, he said to him, “Follow me.”

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.

Readings – Second Sunday of Easter

Greeting (See Second Reading)

We are gathered in the name of Jesus,
the First and the Last,
the Living One who lives for ever,
our Lord and our God.
May his peace and joy be always with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. The Risen Lord Present Among His People

Why do we gather every Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist of the Lord? For the same reason that the first Christians changed their day of worship from the Jewish Sabbath to the Christian Sunday. For Christ rose from the dead on Sunday, the first day of the week. It became “the Lord’s Day,” the day on which they began to celebrate that Christ is risen and alive in the community of his faithful, as he is present among us now. He is real and alive among us, he is our companion on the road of life and we recognize him in the community of the Church. May the Lord Jesus give us faith to sense his presence.

B. See, I Am Alive

We accept in faith, perhaps with difficulty and hesitation, that Jesus is alive among his people today. Yes, he lives in his communities and he is right here among us. Yet like the apostles we too would like very much to see the Lord, to become more aware and more convinced that he is here, alive, standing by our side, moving us forward by his Holy Spirit. But we don’t see him except with eyes of faith. That is what real, deep faith is all about: not seeing and yet believing. We recognize Jesus as our Lord and God and with him we thank our Father.

C. Peace Be With You

When are you at peace in life? I hope it is not when nobody disturbs but when you are living in the right relationship with God and yourself and with your neighbor. It is not always a peace easy to find. The key to all real peace is the peace Jesus offers us; he states this even three times today: It is the peace of forgiveness, the peace of his nearness, the peace of your faith. Then all the rest will follow. Let us ask our Lord here in this Eucharist for that peace that no one can take away from us.

 

 First Reading                                                   Acts 5: 12-16

A reading from the book of Acts

Many signs and wonders were done among the people at the hands of the apostles. They were all together in Solomon’s portico. None of the others dared to join them, but the people esteemed them. Yet more than ever, believers in the Lord, great numbers of men and women, were added to them. Thus they even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on cots and mats
so that when Peter came by, at least his shadow might fall on one or another of them. A large number of people from the towns in the vicinity of Jerusalem also gathered, bringing the sick and those disturbed by unclean spirits,
and they were all cured.

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Responsorial Psalm                             Psalm 118:2-4, 13-15, 22-24
Response: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

Let the house of Israel say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let the house of Aaron say, “His mercy endures forever.” Let those who fear the LORD say, “His mercy endures forever.”
Response: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting. 
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the LORD helped me.

My strength and my courage is the LORD, and he has been my savior.

The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just.
Response: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
Response: Give thanks to the Lord for he is good, his love is everlasting.

 

Second Reading                                       Revelation 1:9-11a, 12-13, 17-19

A reading from the book of Revelation

I, John, your brother, who share with you the distress, the kingdom, and the endurance we have in Jesus, found myself on the island called Patmos because I proclaimed God’s word and gave testimony to Jesus. I was caught up in spirit on the Lord’s day and heard behind me a voice as loud as a trumpet, which said, “Write on a scroll what you see.” Then I turned to see whose voice it was that spoke to me, and when I turned, I saw seven gold lampstands and in the midst of the lampstands one like a son of man, wearing an ankle-length robe, with a gold sash around his chest.
 
When I caught sight of him, I fell down at his feet as though dead. He touched me with his right hand and said, “Do not be afraid. I am the first and the last, the one who lives. Once I was dead, but now I am alive forever and ever. I hold the keys to death and the netherworld. Write down, therefore, what you have seen, and what is happening, and what will happen afterwards.”

The word of the Lord.  Thanks be to God.

 

Gospel                                                              John 20:19-31

The Lord be with you.  And also with you.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John.  Glory to you, Lord.

 

On the evening of that first day of the week, when the doors were locked, where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. The disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained.”
 
Thomas, called Didymus, one of the Twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands and put my finger into the nailmarks and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.”
 
Now a week later his disciples were again inside and Thomas was with them. Jesus came, although the doors were locked, and stood in their midst and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here and see my hands, and bring your hand and put it into my side, and do not be unbelieving, but believe.” Thomas answered and said to him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you come to believe because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”
 
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples that are not written in this book. But these are written that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that through this belief you may have life in his name.

The Gospel of the Lord.  Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ.